Steering apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. RYMER. STEERING APPARATUS.

naw/who's W Patented Mar. 1'7, 1891.

351 a GHiOI/VWA? UNITED Srarns amntu'r @rrren...

IVILLIAM RYMER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

STEERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Yatent No. 448,263, dated March 17,1891.

Application filed July 5, 1890. Serial No. 357,813. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RYMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, county of IVayne, State of Michigan, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Steering Apparatus; and Ideclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object certaii new and useful improvements insteering apparatus designed to secure increased efficiency and economyas well as greater simplicity.

To these ends my invention consists of the devices and appliances, theircombinations and arrangements, as hereinafter described and claimed, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a diagramview in plan showing the cylinders in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through thevalve-case, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the valve.

I carry out my invention as follows:

A represents the rudder, and A a tiller or equivalent device connectedtherewith. 13 B represent piston-cylinders of any suitable construction.0 and O are the pistons suitably connected therewith and with saidrudder in such a manner that the movement of the pistons will throw therudder in either direction desired, according as the pistons are movedin one direction or the other. D and D represent pipes leading from thepistoncylinders to the pilot-house D or other convenient point where acontrolling-valve E is located. F denotes an ordinary steam-boiler, fromwhich at any desired point a pipe F leads to the pilot-house andcommunicates with the valve E. G is a relief-pipe, also communicatingwith the said valve. These are the essential features of my invention.

I prefer to have the apparatus to constitute a hydraulic steeringdevice. To this end water is conducted from the boiler underboiler=pressure through the pipe F to the valve E, by which its pressureis directed to either piston-cylinder required through the pipes D andD.

Instead of using hydraulic power, compressed air might be employed, inwhich event the pipe F would lead to a compressedair cylinder orreservoir II. (Shownin dotted lines, Fig. 2.) The pipes D D may beprovided with suitable pop-valves (shown ata a) to relieve the pressure,if required, in the cylinder. The pipe F, I prefer to provide with asettling-chamber to prevent deposits from the boiler and otherimpurities from passing to the valve and beyond, which might produceundue wear.

\Vhile I would have it expressly understood that I do not limit myselfto any specific form of valve E for controlling the pressure andoperating the pistons, such a valve as I have shown in Figs. 3 and 4;will be adapted to this end, the same consisting of a case E, with whichthe inlet-pipe F and relief G communicate, also the pipes D D.

T2 is the valve proper, provided with a stem E and operating-lever E".The valve is cut away along a portion of its periphery, as shown at cand c, to conduct the power-supply to the pipes D D and to the exhaust,as maybe desired. The valve E is also provided with a through-hole 6whereby the pipes D D may communicate when said valve is in properposition. The valve is also constructed with a lap e at each side thethroughhole e and at each extremity thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. It willbe evident that if the through-hole coincides with the pipes D D equalpressure will be exerted upon both pistons. If the valve be turned tobring the laps adjacent to the extremities of the pipes D D, so as tocover said extremities, the pistons will be held rigidly in a givenposition. So, also, by turning the valve so that the channel 6 willcommunicate with either of the ports D D, as may be required, power willbe directed to the one, while the other will be relieved through thechannel 0 to the exhaust-port. In this manner the power can be sodirected as to control the rudder in the most exact manner.

The valve E may be operated solely by the lever E; or, if preferred,said lever may be supplied with a segmental gear E and an ordinarysteering-wheel I be engaged upon a spindle I, said spindle provided witha pinion .I, meshing with the segment I prefer to enlarge the pipes D Dadjacent to the cylinders to form a well D This well I design to supplywith oil sufficient to fill the cylinder to act as a lubricant. Thepipes D D are preferably led into the base of the well, so that the oilis always ahead of the water, and when the fluid is forced out of eithercylinder it will pass into and be contained in the well. It will beobserved that chains are wholly dispensed with, avoiding entirely allliability of breakage and rattling.

IVhile I prefer to employ two cylinders, each provided with a pistonwhich connects with the rudder, a single cylinder and its piston mightbe employed to actuate the rudder within the scope of my invention.

' Instead of locating the controlling-valve in the pilot-house, it mightbe located in any desired position.

WVhat I claim is 1. In a steering apparatus for vessels, thecombination, with a rudder, of a pair of cylinders provided with pistonswhich are connected to the rudder at opposite points, acont-rolling-valveprovidedwithathrough-port e and side ports e e, a pipeF, communicating with the power-supply and communicating with saidvalve, supply-pipes D D, comin unicatin g with the cylinders and saidvalve, and an exhaust-pipe G, substantially as set forth.

2. In a steering apparatus for vessels, the combination, with a rudderof a vessel, of a cylinder provided with a piston which is connectedwith the rudder, a power-supply pipe leading from the power-supply tosaid cylinder, a valve to control the passage of the power-supply, and'mechanism for operating the valve, consisting of an arm connected tosaid valve and provided with a rack, and a shaft journaled in bearingsand provided with a cog-wheel for engaging said rack, substantially asset forth.

3. In a steering apparatus for vessels, the combination, with therudder, of two cylinders, each provided with a piston connected with therudder, power-supply pipes leading from the power-supply andcommunicable with each other to both of said cylinders, and a valve tocontrol the communication of said pipes with each other and thepower-supply, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign thisspecification in the presence of twoWitnesses.

WILLIAM RYMER.

Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, CHARLES F. SALON.

